Puzzling Death of a Prosecutor Grips Argentina

[Marksman_91]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/20/world/americas/alberto-nisman-found-dead-argentina-amia.html?_r=0

BUENOS AIRES — Police sentries guarded the federal prosecutor’s luxury high-rise building. His door on the 13th floor had been locked from the inside, and a gun with a spent cartridge was found on the floor near his body. There was no suicide note.

Just one day earlier, on Saturday, the prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, said, “I might get out of this dead.”

From the moment 10 years ago when he was assigned to investigate the 1994 suicide bombing of a Jewish center here that left 85 people dead, Mr. Nisman, an even-keeled lawyer, became entangled in a labyrinthine plot that he traced to Iran and its militant Lebanese ally, Hezbollah.

But it was only in the past week that Mr. Nisman, 51, leveled explosive accusations that top Argentine officials, including President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, had conspired with Iran to cover up responsibility for the bombing as part of a deal that would supply Iranian oil to Argentina. Now, the mystery has deepened with the discovery of Mr. Nisman’s body on Sunday — the day before he was to testify before lawmakers about those accusations.

...

Obviously none of the supposed chavistas in this forum are talking about this because it makes the Argentine government, one of the most Chavista-friendly in LatAm, look suspicious, especially since it deals with Iran.

[forest444]

1. If, instead of name-calling, you'd think for a second,

you'd see how little sense that makes.

Coming as it did THE DAY before Congressional testimony, the death was obviously timed to inflict the maximum political damage to the administration. Moreover, the "proof" Nisman was about to expound on in Congress had ALREADY been presented in toto to a judge. Since the 290-page document was nothing more than re-hashed accusations, the administration's best bet by far would have been to point out its inconsistencies and Benghazi-report-style lies (which they did). The murder, and its timing, was the perfect way to lend "credence" to what would otherwise have been easily discredited.

And who would want to do that?

You may remember that Argentina was controlled by right-wing dictatorships for most of the period between 1955 and 1983 (when the country collapsed under anti-labor, deregulatory policies, btw). Unfortunately, their apologists are still very much alive and kicking in high society, the Argentine military and, above all, the SIDE (State Intelligence). One such character - the disgraced former SIDE counterintelligence director Jaime Stiusso - was the source for the cherry-picked wiretaps (illegal, with no court order) Nisman cited as his "proof" of a Iran deal. And alas, they prove no such thing, as even the rabidly anti-administration Clarín tacitly admits.

Señor Stiusso, I might add, was a frequent guest at Nisman's home .

Nor was Nisman himself the image of prosecutorial dilligence and impartiality the Argentine opposition is trying to posthumously bestow. Reprimanded and caught lying by both the judge on the case and Interpol, and condemned by victims' rights groups for blocking and distracting any real investigation of the AMIA or embassy bombings, the only thing Nisman seemed to be good at was casting aspersions and ego-tripping on right-wing television. He knew how to use the media (particularly Argentina's "Fox News" equivalent), and knew that what he lacked in proof, he could always make up for by theatrics on cable news.

His perfectly-timed death is simply another chapter in ongoing efforts of killing two birds with one stone: shift public opinion in an election year (upon which some "business-friendly" party that would let the 600 neo-Nazis convicted for 70s-era human rights atrocities off the hook, could take over), and of course preclude any investigation of the two terrorist attacks (the 1992 Israeli Embassy bombing, and the AMIA bombing - both detonated from inside the buildings) - just as Nisman did for 10 years.

[Marksman_91]

2. Oh, sorry, I thought name-calling was the typical way the chavistas here responded

Can't even count how many times I've been called a "right-winger" from Miss LatAm Activist who hasn't even traveled ever to the countries she likes to talk about so much, and barely even knows the language spoken in that region. Thought I'd give a shot at trying to get even, but I guess since that attitude is worth pointing me out for, I suppose that would make the Chavista bunch here utter hypocrites, since apparently it's not ok when we do it, but perfectly fine when they do it against those who counter their points.

[bemildred]

3. What is known about Alberto Nisman's death?

Speculation about the cause of his death emerged almost immediately as Mr Nisman had been due to give details of controversial allegations against President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and other high-ranking officials.

He had accused them of involvement in a plot to cover up Iran's alleged role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires.

Cristina Fernandez herself has cast doubts on the theory that his death was suicide.

Here we look at what investigators have revealed so far and the leads they are probing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-30937055